Aeroflot's low-cost carrier Pobeda Airlines is to launch a new direct service between London and St Petersburg in Russia.

Starting on October 12, the flights will operate four times a week from Stansted on a Boeing 737.

The airline, founded in 2014, has a fleet of 22 aircraft with a further two Boeing 737s on order. It carried nearly five million passengers in 2017.

Stansted chief commercial officer Aboudy Nasser said: "This exciting new service will provide very cost effective and convenient direct access to Saint Petersburg from Stansted for the first time.

"I'm sure the route will be well received with business passengers from across London and the east of England looking to access Russia's second largest city, and also prove to be very popular with leisure passengers eager to explore the culture and history of this world-renowned city."

Pobeda Airlines' general director Andrey Kalmykov, said: "We are very pleased to launch our new service to London Stansted and connect the great city of Saint Petersburg with London, Cambridge and the wider east of England, and I'm sure our low-fares will ensure the flights enjoy strong demand from UK passengers."